What PNB Fans Are Saying

"I did not enjoy the first 2 acts of the Directors Cut production that I saw last weekend. Both acts seemed too hard to grasp and lasted too long. The Season's was nice, but again lasted quite a bit of time. Maybe I don't understand interprative dance that much, but bringing my mom she tried to sleep during intermissions. The 4th act of West Side Story was wonderful and we really enjoyed it. -SW"

"I loved Petite Mort....it was one of the most stunning pieces of work I have ever seen and when I got home I actually searched for it on YouTube just so I could watch it again. LOVED IT. The Seasons was beautiful as well but it kinda put me to sleep. I tend to go for the more modern style of Ballet and it was a bit too "classical" in nature for me. Overall the program was amazing but Petite Mort held a special place in my heart. -Jody"

"LOVED Petite Mort! I thought Seasons was a little disjointed but the music was wonderful. We always appreciate and enjoy the new works Peter Boal brings to our Ballet and recognize the hard work that goes into this endeavor. We especially love the variety of works our company does. -Linda & George"

"A breathe of fresh air. Welcome, Peter - We were, long ago, many-year subscribers. Tho' frequent, we liked most of George B. But we rather got tired of another "New, World Premiere, by Kent Stowell." (Sorry Kent - but we do love your Carmina Burana, try to catch it each time it is repeated - hint, hint.) We moved on to Meany Theatre's World Dance Series - until we tired of all the Mark Morris repeats. Now we've become more selective, not buying season tickets - even tho' we do not get the wonderful seats we used to have as season subscribers. We both loved Petite Mort, happy with Mopey, liked The Seasons - I particularly liked the Pas de Deux elements, brought back memories of seeing Valery & Galina Panov in the Opera House oh so many years ago - & West Side story was simply fun. Maybe this will inspire us to go rent the DVD. Thank you, Peter. You have renewed our interest in looking to see what PNB is offering. -Steve"

"I saw the performance last Saturday, 11/7/09, and thought it was outstanding. I especially enjoyed Petite Mort--the complexity of the piece really showcased the talents of the dancers. I also loved the pieces from Westside Story. I took my dad with me and it was his first time seeing a PNB performance and he was quite impressed also. Well done! -Heather"

"Great evening, something for just about everyone. We looked forward to seeing Mopey again, and it was just as exciting to see it the second time. Petite Mort was completely engaging. We were both on the edge of our seats for this entire piece. We look forward to seeing this again, and to more of Jiri Kylian's work. I particularly enjoyed the choreography for the foils. The idea of having them roll around and return to the next position ready to be picked up, for just one tiny example, was simple and brilliant and beautifully set off the dancers moves.
Caniparoli's "Seasons" is a grand addition to the repertoire. I've been singing the Glazunov for days. This ballet is clearly on its way to becoming a modern classic, with its danse en pointe, beautiful moves, delicate grace even when paired with such stirring music. Personal opinion: The best place to "read" the flow of the cast on stage is upstairs. The Seasons is a work that is best appreciated by seeing, all at once, each performer, their interactions, and their placements and movements ensemble. It is by seeing the whole that we perceive the depth of Caniparoli's choreography and how far it is carried past the moves for a single dancer to create such beauty.
Now since you asked, there's a more difficult issue. Yes, Kershaw brought us well-deserved national acclaim for that band in the pit, and Yes, Dameron is not Kershaw. I know this is temporary, and I was glad to hear that the search is on for a replacement, because it was distressing to hear the orchestra get so far out of balance that some of Glazunov's best melodies were lost in a blare of brass.
And finally . . . We both thought the "dresses" should have been given their turn on stage for a bow with the rest of the cast."

"I attended the first friday performance and I am planning on attending the 2nd friday performance. I really liked The Seasons. Great lighting as always Randall Chiarelli is a genius. I always like the way the ballets look. I liked the costumes and appreciated the short video on their design. I'd like to see more of that sort of thing. I really appreciate the fact that Val is a local choreographer. Petit Mort was a nice ballet.The costumes really highlighted the extraordinary fitness of PNB dancers. I didn't get Mopey. I will watch Jonathan Porretta do anything, He is an amazing dancer but the choreography does nothing for me. I feel bad because I realize Peter Boal has an investment in creating this dance. I would like to have in involvement in the development of new ballets in the future if may finances allow. I'm sure it's much more difficult than it seems. I especially like Jonathan Porretta's work in the choreographers showcase each year. PNB is my favorite thing about living in Seattle. I encourage everyone I know to go. Thanks to everyone there who works so hard to bring about these wonderful performances."

"I very much enjoyed Petit Mort and am happy that there will be a reprise next season. I initially saw the piece danced here by Hubbard St Dance in 2005 or so. However, The Seasons was a horror: insipid choreography and costumes and a pedestrian set. It triggered flashbacks of the days of Kent Stowell --- I hope it will not be danced here again any time soon. I would again suggest consideration of Donlon's Strokes Through the Tail, a piece very much in line with Mr. Boal's new direction for PNB and something that would be a success for audiences and company alike. Regards,Michael"

"We greatly enjoyed this year’s Director’s Choice ballet. James Moore in “Mopey” was worth the price of admission all alone, although I kept waiting for the music to recapitulate back to the Bach. -Lee and Shawna"

"Hello. I was asked via email to give my opinion on 2009's Director's Choice. I REALLY enjoyed it all except for Mopey, which I absolutely hated. Petite mort was unique and beautiful; it really seemed natural yet at the same time intricate. It was maybe my favorite of the four. Mopey, on the other hand, lacked any sort of grace; I'm sorry, but the only word I can think of to describe it is obnoxious. Yes, it required a huge effort and athleticism on the part of the solo dancer, who took the stage for rather a long time. But it was not enjoyable to watch, in my opinion. It was just not my preferred form of entertainment. The Seasons was more classical, and as such, I loved it. The costumes and music and everything just went together so well. The West Side Story Suite was great; I love the musical, so I loved the ballet suite, especially America. It was so vibrant! Thank you for an amazing experience. I can't wait to see Coppelia and some other works this season!"

"Regarding Mr. Boal's gracious invitation to offer up our opinions of the recent Director's Choice program, I wanted to let him and the company to know that I loved Caniparoli's THE SEASONS so much that I went twice the first week, and will be going again this weekend. The Seattle Times review by Michael Upchurch describing this piece as "hokey" was baffling to me, and he didn't help matters any by explaining what he meant. And Seattle's longest tenured arts critic RM Campbell's review was infuriating. Judging by the ovation and curtain call on opening night, he certainly does not speak for the people in the audience that night. I rate Glazunov's music higher than most, and I have worn out a Raymonda video with Natalya Bessmertnova, wondering whether I'd ever see THE SEASONS choreographed. Besides the music, the costumes were beautiful and perfect for the subject, the two fires wheeled around the dancers was a clever and visually stunning touch, and the choreography was reminiscent of Balanchine and Ashton. I wish I had the financial means to underwrite/sponsor future productions of this half-hour slice of heaven for Mr. Boal & the dancers. I hope the negative reviews by the Times & Post-Intelligencer won't persuade the company that this was a failed experiment. I would dearly love to see this again, and if you performed it every 3 or 4 years, if not more frequently, I would return for it as I do for Midsummer Night's Dream, Hail the Conquering Hero, Lambarena, Theme & Variations, Sleeping Beauty, Merry Wives and so many others. I think it would break a lot of hearts if the naysayers won the day over those of us who love the company's combination of innovation and beloved stalwarts of the repertoire. In closing, I wish one of our Amazon or Microsoft millionaires would commission Mr. Boal to choreograph a pas de deux from Glazunov's third ballet child, RUSES D'AMOUR, that meltingly beautiful duet between the violin & cello near the end. Thanks for including me in your search for feedback. PS - I hope someone realizes that Liora Reshef is your next Louise Nadeau. Don't let the European companies steal her ! -Respectfully (and admiringly), Todd"

"My wife and I attended the performance last Saturday evening. We were treated to an outstanding exhibit of skills on the stage floor. I particularly enjoyed seeing toe dancing with all its grace. Not too common these days, when ballet has given way to gymnastics. -Arthur"

"I took 2 of my daughters to see Director's Choice last Friday, November 6 and we all loved it!! Petit Mort was performed so precisely with the swords and then the partners . . . the dresses were such fun . . . we loved that part too! We had seen Mopey before and thought is was well done, once again. Seasons was spectacular . . . the dancing was phenomenal and the costumes lovely . . . the falling snow, leaves, etc were a fun touch! And West Side Story Suite was a hit once again (we saw it last spring). I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the evening . . . from a more modern start, on to classical ballet and finishing with the broadway style . . . Bravo! And thanks to Peter Boal and PNB for putting together such a fine evening of dance. -Laura"

"Hi Peter, Petite Mort was very enjoyable and so was The Seasons. I could not relate to Mopey though and wound up day dreaming. The West Side Story was nostalgic and memorable. Keep up the good work. -George"

"This was our first time to the ballet and we were not disappointed at all. The music was flawless, the set wasn’t distracting and the dancers were outstanding! It all flowed beautifully. It was absolutely fantastic!! Thanks, Jon and Eppie"

"In one word, EXCELLENT!!! We are so happy to be season ticket holders!!! Much love, Michelle and Fred"

"Petit Mort was wonderful. The Seasons was dreadful. But at last Ariana has a tall great partner in Karol. I love nearly every thing PNB does. Thanks. -Lee"

"I'm not an expert reviewer but wanted to give you feedback that I thought Petite Mort was absolutely incredible. One of the best I have seen at PNB. Highly original. Seasons was lovely too. Mopey was very disturbing. Although I certainly could appreciate the incredible movements of the dancer, I didn't enjoy watching it because of the jarring recorded music and the subject matter (depicting mental illness, I guess). Petite Mort and the Seasons outweighed all else though. Thank you for a great show! I also very much appreciated the free upgrade to a better seat that was included in my subscription this year. That was fabulous! -Colleen"

"Hi, We loved the Director's Choice program. Jill Kilian is awesome, and Seasons was lovely, and our favorite Broadway West Side Story Suite. Dancers are looking even thinner than I remember in the past. I personally like a little more softness in the shoulders and arms of the ladies. Don't let them starve themselves! -Pam "

"Even when I'm a little disappointed in a ballet under Peter Boal, like I was in The Seasons, I'm still so impressed and pleased with the variety that he introduces into PNB that I forgive him. Russell and Stowell were wonderful for many, many years, but far too entranced with Balanchine. Their productions became too predictable and boring to me. Boal's variety is wonderful, even for someone like me who has never studied ballet but who loves the movements and stories.
I enjoyed Petite Mort very much. It was too bad that one of the women lost track of her dress early on in the "roller skated dress" sequence, so that the surprise was lost, but the ballet was fun, very different, and very enjoyable. I LOVED Mopey.
As far as The Seasons is concerned, my friend and I agreed that it was confusing, too dark, and just very hard to follow. We expected scenery to match the seasons. When that didn't happen, we at least expected the darkness of winter to lighten up in spring and summer. We didn't understand the black background and swirling red thing. And the costuming just didn't suggest the different seasons. We had attended the lecture before hand, and were looking forward to the ballet. We were disappointed. Other women who were talking about it in the lobby with us agreed. It was confusing and didn't suggest the seasons as we had hoped and expected.
I had seen Westside Story last spring, and loved it again. My friend and I teared up at the end.
Thank you for a wonderful experience. As I said, even when I'm disappointed in a Boal ballet, I'm still happy to have seen it/them. Sincerely, Cheryl"

"We were absolutely awed and delighted by the performances and we have been "spreading the word" to everyone we know. Sincerely, Carol and Paul"

"‘One of the most engaging moments with dance I have ever had…from the anthropo-morphing of the swords to the trios that followed. And the doublets of geometry created by the multiple duets…brilliant choreography.’ For years, I have enjoyed Dutch design…making understandable form from non-precious materials. Plastic and stone and paper….There is a magic in transformation that I saw here. Bodies to new forms, especially from the balcony. I want to come back and sit up close and see how it differs. That is what I think! Marjorie"

"Thank you for giving us two free tickets for Director's choice. I and my son enjoyed to watching modern ballet. They are completely different from "Nutcrackers";however, I prefer to see these kinds of modern ballet sometime, because I need more sensitive and primitive sense which we don't use normally. I felt deep satisfaction after it has finished. Best warm regards, Yoshiko"

"As a fan of modern dance I've always been reticent to go to PNB. I assumed it would be the same old stuffy choreography and music. Then I started to get a taste at your $5 Fridays at wanted more. So, I went to see the Directors Choice recently hoping to see the innovative side of ballet and I wasn't disappointed. Petite Mort with it's swordplay and Mopey with it's eclectic mix of music and movement really had me engaged. I never thought I would hear the Cramps at the ballet and I loved it. While West Side Story was a known quantity for me in the theatre, I found the PNB version to be full of action and drama. The sets and lighting were great as well. The one let down was The Seasons. Everything about it screamed traditional ballet, the choreography, music, lighting, stage set, and flow all left me wanting something more creative. Fans of traditional ballet will love it no doubt. I can only hope PNB keeps surprising me, I'll be back when you do. Sincerely, D.K."

"Thank you for a wonderful evening of dance and inspiration. Petite Mort is fabulous; we were spellbound. The Seasons played with and challenged us. Mopey and West Side Story again delighted. Thank you Peter Boal and PNB for the risks you are taking and the exhilarating dance you bring to your audiences. The dancers are exquisite; we love the new work that brings out their immense talent and spirit."

"I was thrilled, delighted and awed by Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort-it was stunning- and so beautifully performed. By far my favourite of the evening! please bring it back soon. Val Caniparoli's The Seasons., was not as exciting to me. A little too pretty and conventional. I found it a bit long and repetitive, whereas Petite Mort could have been much longer. Hope that’s helpful -Sincerely, Erica"

"Petite Mort was absolutely fantastic, breaking new ground, superbly danced, amazing choreography, lighting. Enjoyed seeing the underlying dancers' musculature. More! Again! Again! Everything was so right, and, as you will see, I am quite clear on what I like and dislike, and what I think works. This dance and performance more than met my expectations. I wanted to see it again and again so I could truly appreciate what I had seen! The Seasons was a BIG disappointment. The costumes simply didn't work. After the beauty, rightness of the Petite Mort, costume colors, the black shorts against white white skin, the lighting that showed off "stockiness" instead of grace, the roses that didn't look like roses, they looked like dancers in red vests, the repetition of movements of the fawns, I think that's what they were, with the horns, while clever, even cute at first, got boring. The snow flake costumes where the women looked naked on top was terribly annoying. I looked through binoculars and could admire the design on the top, the stitching on tutus that really didn't "work" and the shadows on the women's legs which looked interesting, but of course, binoculars are limiting for the overview. At the end when folks joined hands and danced in a circle, the movements, hand, arm, leg movements were very nice, but the piece as a whole was boring and a challenge to follow was was happening. I talked to a couple walking to my car, and they felt the way I did, amazing first dance, disappointment second. You didn't ask about Westside Story, but seeing it again, different cast, the youthful exuberance of the dancers, especially the singing (glad you had professional singers do it) and then the final scene was, to my surprise, touching all over again, and brought tears! -Diane"

"Both my husband and I simply loved Petite Mort – inventive, elegant, funny. This piece was the showstopper of the evening and made the price of admission worth every penny. In contrast, we found ourselves disappointed and underwhelmed by The Seasons. It derivative and unexciting. -Elise"

"But you asked...my wife and I loved Petit Morte, but The Season's put us both to sleep. We like modern dance. Not so much the traditional leaping snowflakes. Sorry don't be offended. All your dancers are wonderful."

"I found the evening to be an interesting mix. I loved Petite Mort and Mopey. I thought The Seasons was too long, not enough variation in the dancing and the oblique reference to Vivaldi and Nijinsky a little fatuos: it was not one of Caniparoli's better pieces, and I ususally enjoy his work. Some other people in our group thought the program was too long. West Side Suite was better than in the past, largely because the cast we saw was fabulous: Lucien Postlewaite has grown into a wonderful, wonderful dancer and James Moore is also great.

I heard Peter Boal's interview with Marci Sillman and I was shocked to hear him express that he has had doubts about some of the programming/direction he hoped to take the company in given some of the responses he has had: he is doing a FABULOUS job and I hope he is getting a lot of 'atta boys' as I think he is the best thing to happen to PNB.

Best regards,Hazel"

"A few words about PNB’s Director’s Choice performances: outstanding, inventive, exhilarating. Petite Mort was dreamy, sensual, beautifully danced, staged, and executed. The Four Seasons was visual splendor. It was presented right after intermission, which was perfect; otherwise it would have been too rich a feast to process given the other strong and lustrous performances. It opened stunningly, transitioned smoothly, and maintained steady, picturesque flow throughout. Mopey is a feat of athleticism and attitude. I love seeing PNB stage this type of work; it provides breadth to the company’s repertoire, and offers a broad appeal to those who appreciate different forms of dance. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about a ballet staging of West Side Story. Somehow Boal and the dancers pulled it off gorgeously without a hint of the dork factor I feared. Bravo, bravo! Director’s choice is stunning! Please keep offering new, inventive works like these, and keep stretching the boundaries of ballet."

"I went to see Director's Choice last Friday night and wanted to say how fabulous I thought the performance was. I have been going to PNB for the last 9 years and this is one of the best performances I have seen yet. I liked the cleverness of "Petite Mort" (dresses on wheels!) and "The Seasons" was incredible - the way each season was represented and melded into each other was beautiful and also playful. The costumes also really embellished this piece. And the songs from West Side Story were all my favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed them as I tapped (o.k. sang along) to "America." Nice work PNB!!! This is the best show in town!!!"

PNB's 2009 Directors Choice - overall, a gorgeous display of artistry from all parts of dance...read the blog http://dinnerandamovieblog.blogspot.com/

"Val Caniparoli's "The Seasons" is a strong work that deserves a place in PNB's repertoire. It restores the Glazunov score to its real context - accompanying an entertaining ballet. Caniparoli revives the four seasons idea in ballet by adding a gentle, yet durable, spoof of the Imperial Ballet's use of mythic characters. The choreography is brilliant for the entire cast and could stand on its own without the humor elements. The live performance of the score is a treat that we've missed when it is broadcast on radio. What a treasure the PNB orchestra is! As many of us knew, Glazunov is not a hack. - John, subscriber"